The Unlikely Mate

Chapter 19

It was only about half an hour later than Jennifer heard a knock at the door, and she nervously admitted William into her apartment.

"Hello, Beautiful" he said to her, as he stepped inside, and leaned in to kiss her.

Jennifer faltered as he leaned in, and she turned her head so the kiss landed on her cheek, instead of her lips, where William had intended. He looked at her a bit questioningly, but didn't say anything.

"It's good to see you, can I get you anything?" Jennifer said nervously.

"No, I'm fine." He said as he walked over to the couch to sit down.

"First things first," he began with a serious tone, motioning for Jennifer to come sit down near him.

"I know you've spent a lot of time living in the rural packs, so what do you know about hunters?" he began.

"Uh, not much, really" Jennifer began, not at all expecting this to be the topic of conversation, but glad that she would be able to segue into telling him about what she heard in the woods the other day.

"I mean, we learned a little about them growing up" Jennifer said. "They were just one of the cautionary tales about why it can be dangerous to live off of pack lands. Hunters were people who knew about werewolves and felt that we were a threat and want to get rid of us. So they learn about us and hunt us down to kill us. That's about it, but I did want to tell you..."

"Well, that's not enough" William interrupted her, a look of frustration on his face. "These packs are so foolish about preparing their young to understand the dangers of the world. It should be a standard part of the education." William grunted before he started again.

"I've gotten word that there's pretty successful hunter living here in town. He's one of the most dangerous, because he's skilled, but more than that he's hunting out of vengeance, and that's a deadly combination for our kind. I have contacts here in town who have confirmed that he's been around for a while, and just recently killed one of their pack members, and they think he isn't done yet."

"I actually wanted to tell you something along those lines" Jennifer was finally able to say. "I had shifted and gone for a run a few days ago, when I came across some werewolves in the woods. I overheard them talking about someone that they were planning to kill. Sounded like they were going to lure him elsewhere and make it look like an animal attack or something."

"Well, that would probably be for the best" William grunted.

"What?" Jennifer asked in surprise. "I thought part of your whole job was to oversee peace between men and wolves? To make sure that this sort of thing didn't happen?"

"Hunters are different. They kill our kind with no remorse, stopping at thinking. Good riddance if they can take him out without leading anyone back to us."

"But" Jennifer began, but not really knowing what she wanted to try to say. "I mean... They're human, we're supposed to protect them, not turn a blind eye to wolves trying to kill them. If for no other reason than it would attract the eye of more hunters?" Jennifer was pleading, trying to come up with any type of argument that might make sense. She realized she probably didn't have a clear understanding of how dangerous a hunter might be, but she also didn't feel that they deserved a death sentence from any wolf who happened to cross their path.

"Go pack your things" William then said abruptly. "I'm taking you away from here. It's too dangerous. You can come back with me, or I'll take you back to your own pack."

"No!" Jennifer said definitely, standing to her feet in opposition to William's instruction.

"This isn't a request. I'm taking you with me, and we're leaving now!" William said, standing to his feet and roughly grabbing Jennifer's arm.

"Let go of me!" Jennifer said, as she pulled away from William. "I'm not leaving. I'm not in any danger here, and I'm not running away from someone who isn't even after me!"

"We're not having a discussion. Get your things, we're leaving now!" He shouted, and moved toward Jennifer's bedroom.

Jennifer blocked his path and stood her ground. "NO!" she growled, her wolf fighting to surface. "I'm not leaving."

"Jennifer" William sighed, as if speaking to a belligerent child. "I'm taking responsibility for you. As an unmated she-wolf, I'm going to take you under my wing. I'll take care of you and look after you, but you need to learn your place. And you need to do what I say. Now, go get your things."

Jennifer was filling with rage, and fighting to keep her wolf inside. She was strong, independent, a warrior and hardly someone ready to roll over and behave for some guy, just because he decided it was best for her.

"No!" she said again, gritting through her teeth, and clenching her fists which had already begun to shift, the nails protruding and cutting into her hands.

William was a little startled at the power she was exuding at that moment. He hadn't really considered her as anything but the image he had created of her in his mind, and that did not include the behavior she was exhibiting now. This new aspect of her character was something that attracted her to him even more than before, and he decided that she would not easily get away from him. But, he realized that it wouldn't be easy to make her his.

"Fine!" he said as he stormed away and stood in her front doorway. "You will be mine" he threatened over his shoulder, and then stormed off slamming the door behind him.

Jennifer stood where she was for several minutes, before finally calming down and allowing her wolf to settle. She then walked over to the sink to wash the blood off of her hands. The self-inflicted cuts from her own claws had already healed, but her hands were covered in blood.

Jennifer had just finished cleaning the spots of blood off the floor, when someone knocked on the door.

"What now?" Jennifer grumbled under her breath as she stalked over to her front door, looking out the peep hole to see who was there.

As soon as she looked out, she was hit with the wave of scent that she had been craving. The warm inviting cookie scent filled her nostrils, and her wolf began to yip inside of her head, excited and wanting to immediately embrace the man standing on the other side of the door.